Most pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles include a tailgate or end gate that, when opened, may be as high as approximately 30 inches above the ground upon which the vehicle is parked. Other vehicles have a raised chassis that makes this height even greater. This is height difficult to climb when getting in and out of the vehicle bed, and most often requires an agile human to accomplish this without undue difficulty.
Climbing this height is an even more difficult task for a dog. Often the tailgate is at eye level or above for a dog, so it requires a rather large jump from the dog to get himself into the back of a vehicle. In addition, when the dog jumps down from the tailgate, it is a hard landing on the ground.
Getting into and out of a vehicle bed is even more difficult as the dog gets older. Many older dogs suffer from arthritic joints and varying levels of blindness that can make getting into and out of a truck bed a dangerous and painful task. In addition, if a dog is too small, the height of the tailgate may be too high for him to jump, thus making it the owner's job to lift the dog in and out each time.
Hitch mounted or tailgate mounted step assemblies are well known in the art. Some models such as Graffy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,996, and Armstrong et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,342, consist of a swinging step hanging down from the tailgate, much like a boat ladder. These types of steps would not work well for a dog, because the steps hang down directly below the lip of the tailgate and once a dog got his front legs onto this step, he would have a hard time getting his back legs onto the step to push his way up. For a step to be useful for a dog, it really needs to be of a sufficient size that the dog could sit on it. That is not the case for either of these inventions.
Another step assembly is disclosed in Peacock, U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,876. This device is essentially a stepladder that attaches directly to the tailgate and folds down to the ground. This type of step would also not work well for a dog because it is too nearly vertical and the steps are too small to accommodate a large dog's feet. Again, a dog needs a rather large step that he can get all four feet onto in order to jump onto a tailgate.
Cannara et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,865, and Ludwick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,362, each disclose a rotating step for a trailer hitch. The step rotates from a stepping position that is behind the trailer hitch to a storage position that is substantially under the trailer hitch. Positioning the step under the trailer hitch when not in use reduces the vehicle's ground clearance and enhances the potential of damage to the rotating step caused by the rotating step contacting the ground as the vehicle is moved.
Debo, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,237,927 and 6,474,668, each disclose a step that is particularly suited for use with a pick-up. The step is mounted to the vehicle frame and includes a shaft that permits the step to slide from a position close to the vehicle for use with the tailgate up to a position farther away from the vehicle for use with the tailgate down.
Schlicht, U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,086, describes a foldable step for a trailer hitch. The foldable step is movable between a lowered position and a raised position. The step is maintained in the raised position by a clip.
There are also several patents that disclose hitch mounted cargo carriers. Sadler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,937, describes a support frame that attaches to a trailer hitch. The support frame includes a telescoping shaft that enables the support frame to be moved away from the back of the vehicle to permit opening of a rear access hatch on the vehicle.
Belinky et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,179,184 and 6,202,909, each disclose a trailer hitch mounted cargo carrier having a platform that is removably attached to a drawbar.
Lipscomb, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,387, discusses a collapsible multi-purpose carrier that attaches to a trailer hitch. Collapsing the multi-purpose carrier significantly reduces the area needed to store the multi-purpose carrier.
As a result of the failings of the conventional art, there is a need for a step assembly that substantially solves the problems related to dog use innately present with conventional step assemblies. There is a need to provide for a vehicle step assembly that functions to provide a stable, sturdy, suitably sized step that is designed with the needs of dogs in mind.